Friday, July 10, 2009

My new favorite brownies

While we have a family brownie recipe, the very person I got the recipe from can no longer eat them because she has a gluten and dairy-free diet! So, when I found a no-flour, no-dairy recipe, I decided I had to try it.

Can you guess the secret ingredient? I bet no one will if you make it. No one in my house did....

Yep. Black beans. And you wouldn't know the difference. Seriously. You have to try these, especially if someone in your life is gluten free!

In addition to these being a GF, these brownies are much healthier than the typical brownie too -- not to mention, you're getting a great deal of excellent protein in these tasty desserts!

Pull out your blender, and in it, combine the beans, eggs and olive oil. Then, puree the mixture.

Then, add in the cocoa, sugar, baking powder, pinch of salt and vanilla and puree until smooth.

I stirred a few times to make sure the beans were well-pureed!

Pour the brownies into the pan.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of the brownies. Alternatively, you can mix them in the batter.

Pop the brownies into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. As the brownies bake, they will pull away from the edge of the pan... that's a clue they're getting close to done. Check with a toothpick to make sure the batter is done. The brownies will be moist, but not gooey.

Cool, then slice. Enjoy! If they stick around, you can keep them on the counter for up to 2 days... then pop them in the fridge to keep for another day or so. These brownies are almost melt-in-your mouth due to the fine texture, and they are quite moist, so they will not keep as long as "regular" brownies.

*If you're cooking for a gluten free friend, be sure to check your ingredients, including your beans, cocoa powder and vanilla to make sure they're gluten-free. You can find Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips that are gluten and dairy free!

34 comments:

My sister in law is on a gluten free diet and I've seen black bean brownies before. We have never got around to making them though. I'm glad to know that you did and that they were good. I'll be making them next time she comes to visit.

while gluten free/dairy free (do the choc chips not have dairy??) is totally unappealing to me, this recipe is b/c it would be healthy. Will have to give it a try. Would make a great snack to pack in their lunches come fall.

This actually looks really good! I too will see if I can get dh to guess what's in them. Like with my other experiments similar to this, I'll tell him what the special ingredient is and he'll say, "I thought something tasted...weird." lol

Woo hoo! I am gluten-free (sugar-free, too) and I am going to try these. I've heard of using beans before but have never done it...I am sure they are delicious. This post is getting bookmarked in my "must make" folder. :) Thanks for sharing!

When I read the ingredients of my store brand semi-sweet chocolate chips, there was no dairy of any kind. I was pleased to see I didn't have to go chase a healthfood store down. Good stuff. I have used other beans as well, pinto, white, pink, red, as well as black. They all puree up just fine and don't taste any different. The cocoa makes the color pretty much the same too, no matter the color of beans.www.kellikolz.blogspot.com

Hi SnoWhite - I just noticed that I've commented on these before & I actually ended up making black bean brownies but I started with a totally different recipe. This is a great dish and I just adore how you take such good care of your gf loved ones.

I just made a batch of Midnight Brownies for my son's birthday last night. Would like to share that recipe with you. Check it out at http://www.wineablegifts.com/Wineable-Gifts-Blog-Wine-Recipes.php?post=14 Let me know how you liked it. They are our new favorite brownies and no one can guess the secret ingredient. Enjoy!

Do these have to be done with black beans? would they work with something else like kidney beans. I was looking for black beans for a different recipe recently and couldn't see them in my local store. Also can they be frozen??

I just made these for a class where one of my fellow students is gluten free and they were delicious! Even my boyfriend said they were great and he's not a big dessert eater. However- mine ended up being half as tall as yours did, do you know what I may have done wrong? Thanks for the wonderful recipes!

Thanks for linking up your recipe to THIS WEEKS CRAVINGS! My daughter is now GLUTEN-FREE, so this recipe has just moved to the top of my list and I will be making it SOONER then later! (thanks) This is gonna be a fun week, seeing what "secret ingredient" people hide in their recipes!

Just a "sneak peak" for next week, the theme is "HUBBY COOKS". So, we hope to see you again next Monday (and maybe if you don't already have a husband that cooks, you can talk him into making you dinner this week... that's what I have to do!)

i made these but they really didn't turn out well. they were super moist and fell apart. i think they were cooked all the way as they weren't runny but just so moist that i couldn't really get them out of the pan without them almost melting away ??? The only thing i can think of is that i made them one night and left them in the pan to cool then did not cut them until the next night. Maybe i should have taken them out of the pan sooner ? I figured they would need to set up in the pan overnight but it seems like the exact opposite happened. Did this happen to anyone else ? Help !

I saved this recipe in my favorites when I came across it. I'm going to try these for my children because they're healthy. I wonder if my daughter's picky palate will notice anything different about them lol thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!

When cooking, please make sure to follow kitchen hygiene and safety -- cook meat until internal temperature is at safe levels, always check labels for allergens, and use caution in the kitchen -- I love sharing recipes, but I am not liable for damages done as a result of trying these recipes.